I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rotisseries and, in particular, to a barbecue apparatus in which food is adapted to be mounted and rotated over a source of heat.
II. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, food, such as meat to be grilled, is generally placed on a spit which is rotatable to expose the meat to the heat in order to ensure uniform cooking of the same. In cooking large meats, such as a pig roast or a large side of beef, the spit may not be capable of rotatably supporting the meat to be grilled because of its shape. In many situations the spit is provided with forks that are carried by the spit and which pierce the opposite ends of the meat; however, after a considerable amount of rotation of the spit, the forks sometimes break loose of the meat and the meat fails to rotate, thus causing uneven heating and cooking of the same. In many applications the rotisseries include cradles, sometimes referred to as cages, in an attempt to facilitate the necessary support required for long periods of rotation of the meat. In many situations it is difficult to adequately secure, or anchor, the meat within the cradle, resulting in undesirable jostling of the meat during rotation of the rotisserie. It would be desirable to provide a means for securing the meat within the cradle of the rotisserie so as to prevent movement of meat which can result in portions of meat breaking loose from the whole carcass as it moves within the cradle.
Many of the prior art devices suggest a variety of means for overcoming certain of the aforementioned problems. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,563,159 and 2,938,450 each disclose a rotatable cage member having a circular cross section which includes a concentric spit for mounting an animal or piece of meat thereon. The cage is rotatable about an underlying support stand.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,839,989 discloses a barbecue attachment having a rectangular cross section which includes a spit running therethrough for receiving objects thereon for barbecuing.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,993,607 and 3,103,161 are considered relevant to the present invention as disclosing rotatable barbecue apparatuses including cages having a circular or rectangular configuration, respectively. Other prior art patents of which Applicant is aware include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,297,825, 3,344,736 and 3,797,379. These patents show other types of barbecuing apparatuses which include means for supporting meat to be cooked for barbecuing in which the apparatuses are rotatable about an underlying fire.
Other relevant art includes German Pat. No. 1,947,386 and U.S. Pat. No. 779,128. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,593,613 and 4,505,195 are also considered relevant to the present invention as disclosing rotatable barbecue apparatuses including cages or cradles.
None of the prior art patents disclose means for securing the meat to the cradle which readily adjust to a variety of longitudinal and angular positions to conform to the exterior of the meat surface to provide the most effective means for securing the meat.